Image recording apparatus

Abstract

An image recording apparatus includes a housing in which a conveying path is formed, a feed tray insertable into and removable from the housing and including an accommodating portion configured to accommodate sheet media in a stacked state, an image recording unit configured to record an image on one of the sheet media in the conveying path, a guide member provided at a facing portion of the housing which faces an end portion of the feed tray inserted into the housing, and configured to guide one of the sheet media in the accommodating portion to the conveying path, and a separator pivotally provided at the facing portion of the housing and configured to separate the sheet media guided by the guide member one by one.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
 a housing in which a conveying path is formed; 
 a feed tray insertable into and removable from the housing and including an accommodating portion configured to accommodate sheet media in a stacked state; 
 an image recording unit configured to record an image on one of the sheet media in the conveying path; 
 a guide member provided at a facing portion of the housing which faces an end portion of the feed tray inserted into the housing, and configured to guide one of the sheet media in the accommodating portion to the conveying path; and 
 a separator pivotally provided at the facing portion of the housing and configured to contact the sheet media accommodated in the accommodating portion and to separate the sheet media guided by the guide member one by one, wherein the separator is configured to move between a first posture and a second posture which is closer to a horizontal posture than the first posture; and 
 a spring configured to apply a given force to an upper end of the separator to bias the separator in the first posture. 
 
     
     
       2. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pivot connection mechanism that pivotally connects a lower end portion of the separator to a lower end portion of the facing portion of the housing. 
 
     
     
       3. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a feed roller configured to feed one of the sheet media from the accommodating portion of the feed tray to the conveying path; and 
 a swing arm that rotatably supports the feed roller at a back side of the housing in an insertion direction of the feed tray and includes a swing shaft at a front side of the housing in the insertion direction of the feed tray. 
 
     
     
       4. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the facing portion of the housing is disposed at a back side of the housing in an insertion direction of the feed tray. 
 
     
     
       5. An image recording apparatus, comprising:
 a housing in which a conveying path is formed; 
 a feed tray insertable into and removable from the housing and including an accommodating portion configured to accommodate sheet media in a stacked state; 
 an image recoding unit configured to record an image on one of the sheet media in the conveying path; 
 a guide member provided at a facing portion of the housing which faces an end portion of the feed tray inserted into the housing, and configured to guide one of the sheet media in the accommodating portion to the conveying path; and 
 a separator pivotally provided at the facing portion of the housing and configured to contact the sheet media accommodated in the accommodating portion and to separate the sheet media guided by the guide member one by one, wherein; 
 the separator is provided with a first uneven portion and a second uneven portion, 
 the first uneven portion is provided in a first region on a contact surface of the separator with the sheet media and has a first attack angle with respect to an assumed contact direction with the sheet media, and 
 the second uneven portion is provided in a second region on the contact surface of the separator above the first region and has a second attack angle larger than the first attack angle. 
 
     
     
       6. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the separator is configured to move between a first posture and a second posture which is closer to a horizontal posture than the first posture. 
 
     
     
       7. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the spring is configured to apply the given force to restore the separator to the first posture when the separator is moved from the first posture to the second posture. 
 
     
     
       8. The image recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the first attack angle is an inclination angle formed by a lower inclined surface of the first uneven portion with respect to a main body surface of the separator.